• Clothing

Clothing can be one of the trickier aspects of packing when studying abroad. Not only do you need to think about what the weather will be like and how much to bring, but you also have to be concerned about what is accepted in your specific country.

Climate

Africa is traditionally stereotyped as being a hot wasteland or a jungle but this is not always the case. It can get downright cold at night and in some places it rains consistently for two months out of the year. Make sure you look up the weather patterns for your country and have appropriate and comfortable clothes packed.

Hand-washing

In some places in Africa, clothes are often washed by hand. If you will be staying for a longer period of time, make sure you have clothes that you can wash easily by hand. For instance, bring lighter material that air-dries easily rather than heavy denim jeans for example. Lighter material will not only be more comfortable in the hot weather but will be easier to wash.

Know what is okay in your culture!

Culture in Africa when it comes to clothing varies greatly. The best thing to do is find someone from the country you are visiting and ask them what you should bring. One aspect of clothing that tends to be universal is that shorts and short skirts are not acceptable. Showing a lot of leg will often be met with disapproving looks and it is very difficult to interact with people when your style of dress is offensive to them. Try to wear long pants or long skirts. This is also a good idea to prevent mosquito bites and sunburns.

If you are unable to find someone to talk to from your country and can’t find information on the clothing there, the best advice is to err on the side of conservative dress.

But… don’t be afraid to look good!

Just because you are dressing more conservatively does not mean you can’t look good. Style and fashion are generally appreciated all over the world so it is worth it to get online and see what is fashionable in your country.

If you will be attending the university wherever you are staying, please keep in mind that college students around the world typically dress more professionally for classes than Americans do. A wise decision would be to bring several pairs of dress pants if the purpose of your stay is to attend the university. Dress pants for women tend to be light, comfortable, easy to wash by hand, and they look professional. They also don’t take up a lot of room in your suitcase.

  • “Friendly” Gentlemen

Overly “friendly” gentlemen can be a problem no matter where you are in the world. In many places in Africa, women from Europe or America are sometimes perceived to be wealthy with the means of helping people go to abroad. So, don’t be surprised if you suddenly have men chatting with you, asking about your “husband” or proposing their love for you. Unless they give you a reason to feel that they are being hostile, don’t take it too seriously. Many times, they are just joking around but if you feel they aren’t, there are several good tactics for declining their advances. In my experience mentioning a boyfriend/husband back home does not work. One thing that may work is telling them that they need your father’s permission. Try to keep a light friendly tone while turning them down, as you don’t want to start any ugly situations.

One thing that happens frequently is that men will ask you for your phone number. It is up to you whether or not you want to give it to them or not. If you feel that you may see him again (i.e. in class or in your neighborhood), I would do my best not to lie. The one thing that has worked for me before is to tell them that my father or boyfriend does not approve of my calling or texting other men.

Not so friendly gentlemen

There is always the possibility that you will run into gentlemen that will not be so friendly. I have had strange men grab me by the arm and try to stop me on the street wanting to talk. If this happens, do not stop to talk with them but try to get away as quickly as you can. This may seem rude but it is for your safety.

  • General Safety

People calling out to you

One of the most important things is to be consistently aware of your surroundings. This means being aware of people who call out to you as you walk by. Always turn to see who is calling to you and why, because it may be friendly. For example, you do not want to ignore someone if you have dropped your cell phone and they are trying to give it back to you. Usually I responded to calls from strangers with a cordial wave and a greeting while I continued to walk. If I did not feel safe, I did not stop to chat.

Walking at night

It would be wise to avoid walking around alone at night. You can often ask friends to accompany you should you need to go out at night.

  • Hygiene products

It will often depend on the region of Africa in which you are staying, but more than likely if you are staying in a big city, you will not need to worry about packing a lot of hygiene or beauty products. Things like shampoo, soap, and make-up you will probably be able to find there. For those you should pack some travel sized bottles to get you through a week or so, and then go buy some once you are there. It will save so much room in your suitcase.

There are however, some things that I was unable to find while I was there. These include solid deodorant, sun block, and tampons. Make sure that you bring enough of these with you to last your whole stay. Tampons for example, can be hard to find in stores and are often only sold in pharmacies. Once again, it depends on where you are but it is easier to pack your own and to never have to worry about it.